


Cast Bread on the Water

by SunflowerSupreme



Series: Witcher (A/B/O) [18]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bathing/Washing, M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Jaskier | Dandelion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:22:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26411077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerSupreme/pseuds/SunflowerSupreme
Summary: I was told the baths would be empty.Cast Bread on the WaterTo do good deeds without the promise of reward.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Witcher (A/B/O) [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1598041
Comments: 12
Kudos: 159





	Cast Bread on the Water

**Author's Note:**

> So there’s more I might do from the Witcher 1 timeline, but for now I’m moving on. The tl;dr of what I skipped is “Vizima almost burned down, Geralt fought a bunch of people, Dandelion brokered peace between Temeria and Redania.”

Azar Javed was dead.

Geralt was alive.

Dandelion was a hero.

It ought to have been the finest moment of his life, but all Dandelion wanted to do was slink away and bathe. It had been two long days since his heat had ended, and in that time he’d barely gotten a chance to nap, let alone clean up properly.

Once things settled down, Dandelion immediately borrowed on a bit of his newfound fame and was given the use of a bathing chamber in the palace, which he was told would most likely be empty at that time of night.

Excellent.

The last thing he wanted was anyone seeing him.

The bathing chamber was a large pool, sunk into the ground with steps leading down into it. A stone bench ringed the edge, allowing bathers to sit and gossip. For once, Dandelion didn’t mind having the room all to himself.

He sat on a stool by the water and slowly removed his shirt, tossing it into a heap on the ground. His boots were next, he carefully peeled them off and sat them aside, rubbing his sore feet.

“No sense delaying the inevitable,” he muttered to himself.

His muscles screamed as he stood, slipping his pants off. But his underwear wasn’t going to be as easy.

Undergarments were something Dandelion prided himself on wearing. It was certainly a habit of the upper class, having the coin to spend on soft garments that would never be seen. But on that day, in the bath, it was a source of shame. Despite Geralt’s attempt to clean him, his ass had continued to leak semen for some time, all of which had gotten stuck in his underwear. Adding to that the healing salve Geralt had rubbed into him, and he was starting to feel he understood how a baby’s soiled diaper must feel.

The once silky cloth was stiff and stuck to his skin, chaffing and pulling at him as he tried to peel them off. “Shit,” he moaned, tossing the garment aside with the rest of his clothes and making a mental note to burn them.

Then he stumbled into the baths, moaning and dunking his head underwater.

For a few, blissful minutes, he was completely alone, able to slowly clean between his legs with a gentle soap, although he wasn’t certain he’d ever feel properly clean again. He’d debated going to Geralt and demanding more of the salve, but he wasn’t certain he wanted to bring up any of the Witcher’s potions again if it meant being threatened with another whipping.

Dandelion shivered at the memory. But more than anything, he was horrified by how badly he’d craved more of the drug. Even when Foltest had offered him wine to celebrate the peace - which he’d accepted, gratefully - his mind had been focused on the White Gull.

“No,” he said to himself sharply. “I gave Geralt my word.” He waded through the pool to the bench, sinking into it and allowing the water to soothe his sore muscles.

Then the door opened.

* * *

A bath.

He’d earned it, after everything he’d been through. He'd lost track of how long it had been since his quick bath in the creek. Two? Three days? 

Geralt made his way through the moonlit halls to the washroom. It was meant to be a public bath, but he’d waited until late at night, when no one would be around to stare at him.

As soon as he shut the door behind he kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his pants. Then he froze. “I was told the baths would be empty.”

Dandelion shrugged. “Geralt, I’m fairly certain we could fit ten whores in here.” He paused, then nodded. “That’s an invitation.” 

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” 

“Excellent, because I’ll be very uncomfortable if you turn around and leave without washing my back.”

Geralt sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to win the argument. He crouched beside Dandelion, scratching his curls. “You’re thin,” he said bluntly.

Dandelion pouted. “Thin?!” he demanded. “I’m athletic! I always have been! You just don’t remember it, which is entirely your fault.”

“I can count your ribs.” Geralt narrowed his eyes. “That’s new.”

Looking away, Dandelion muttered, “Alcohol is expensive, Geralt.”

His chest twisted. “Foltest paid me a pretty penny for my help-”

“And I’ve stopped drinking, so don’t worry about it.”

“You’ve told me that before.”

“I mean it this time Geralt. I’ve stopped. Completely.”

Geralt sat down, dangling his feet in the tub. “Don’t.”

“I beg your pardon?” Dandelion shot to his feet, turning to face Geralt. Planting his hands on either side of the Witcher he crowded against him, his eyes glinting. “Geralt, all you’ve done since you returned was scold me for my drinking. You even threatened to torture me!”

Geralt sighed, cupping Dandelion’s face. “I’d never torture you.” Without thinking he found the spot just at the edge of his hairline, below his ear, where he loved to be scratched. “And that was only if you touched my potions.”

“That doesn’t explain-”

“You’re addicted,” he said bluntly. “Because of my death or the shit in that book. The more I remember, the more I think you’ve been addicted for a long time-” and he hadn’t noticed before, had he? Not until it had been almost too late.

“Geralt-“

“You won’t be able to quit, so I have to accept that.”

“I want to quit. Not for you Geralt- well, alright, yes for you, but also because I- well I don’t enjoy being this way.”

He picked up Dandelion’s hands, curling their fingers together. “Just drink less,” he said. “I’ll keep an eye on you, when I’m around.”

Dandelion stuck his tongue out and Geralt resisted the urge to grab it. “You’re not my father,” he teased.

“No,” Geralt agreed. “I think I care a great deal more than he ever did.”

“I think you’re right.”

Dandelion wrapped his arms around Geralt’s midriff, soaking his shirt. But Geralt couldn’t bring himself to complain. He rested his chin on Dandelion’s head for a fraction of a second, then his peace was shattered by Dandelion dragging him into the water.

“BARD!”

Dandelion leapt out of the way as Geralt fell face first into the water. When he emerged, Dandelion snickered.

“You brat,” Geralt growled. “I ought to thrash you.” 

Dandelion’s eyes gleamed and he smiled. “You know Geralt, you’ve been promising me a whipping for a long time now, but you’ve never carried through.” 

Geralt rolled his eyes and turned his back before Dandelion could see how heated his face had become. “I’m starting to remember things,” he said slowly as he peeled off his shirt, tossing it out of the water where it landed with a wet plop.

“Truly?”

“Tell me about Ciri.”

“Your child surprise,” said Dandelion. “The Princess of Cintra.”

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know.” Dandelion sighed. “The last I saw of here she was taking your body away on a boat.”

Geralt stepped into the bath, sitting across from Dandelion, nodding.

“What else do you want to know?”

“Yennefer.”

“She died along with you.”

Geralt nodded. “What happened in Brokilon?”

“Hmm?” He turned to see Dandelion, sitting on the bench again, staring at him through the steam.

“I remember waking up in Brokilon. I remember you-”

“I wasn’t there when you woke, Geralt.”

“When I woke up, I wanted to throttle you.”

Dandelion’s shoulders tensed. “That’s fair.”

“I don’t remember why. All I remember is that when you came to find me, I forgave you immediately.”

The bard smiled. “You did?”

“Why?” Geralt whispered. “Why was I so angry?”He stepped closer, not failing to notice that Dandelion seemed to shrink back. “I’ve never been that angry with you.”

Dandelion looked away, his shoulders drooping. “What do you think about spies Geralt?”

“I hate them.”

The bard winced. “Being a bard doesn’t always pay well, but it does grant you other favors. Being in court, no one questions you. Everyone thinks you’re a fool. They say things, slip up-”

“So you spied on some kings,” Geralt said. “I wouldn’t hate you for that.”

“That was the arrangement,” said Dandelion. “Dijkstra was never particularly happy about it, he wanted more from me, but I always turned him down. _Only the courts_ , I would say. _That’s all I’ll give you_.”

“He wanted me.”

“Who wouldn’t want a spy who knew all the secrets of the White Wolf? You became a particularly valuable asset to him once Ciri went missing from Cintra.”

Geralt tensed. “You told him about Ciri?”

“No!” Dandelion’s head whipped around, eyes widening. “Geralt- Geralt, I swear on anything, on the stars in the sky, on my poetry, my lute, on our friendship- I swear, I never told him about Ciri!”

Geralt stepped closer, holding out his hand in what he hoped was a placating manner. “Dandelion,” he said. “I already told you, I forgave you a long time ago. I just want to know the truth.”

Dandelion nodded. “You figured it out of course, you’re no fool. You weren’t pleased, but I fed him enough false information-”

“Why?”

“Why did I lie? Geralt, why would I tell him the truth?”

“You said you refused to tell him about me and then you skipped to telling me what you told him about me. What changed?”

“The fuck do you think?” Dandelion folded his arms over his chest. “He threatened to reveal me as an Omega.”

Geralt closed his eyes. _Of course_.

“I hadn’t told you that much. You must have thought I was greedy or stupid, or perhaps just vain. I won’t lie, the pay was good and it was nice to be appreciated for my intellect, even a little bit.”

“I didn’t know he was threatening you?”

Dandelion. “I’m an adult Geralt, I can take care of myself.”

Geralt decided not to argue with that statement, instead saying, “So in Brokilon-”

“You thought I’d sold you out for money, told him where Ciri was going to be. I hadn’t, of course, I’d told him that you would be at the party with Yennefer, but that you two were alone.”

“You had already gone ahead to the party, I was staying behind, to bring you your swords if there was trouble.” He swallowed, clearly pained by the memory. “The Isle of Thanned is a part of Temeria. He told me-” the bard choked.

“Dandelion-”

“There was to be an auction that weekend. Of-” he coughed, swallowed “- ah, Omegas. I- I was almost sold at one of those years ago.”

“I remember.”

“He said I’d be long gone before you could find me.”

“I didn’t know?” Geralt whispered.

“I told you, when I found you in Brokilon. You were far more understanding after that. But- oh Geralt, I’ve never seen you in such a way. I thought you were certainly going to fade into nothingness. Then you tried to send me away.”

“But you came anyway.”

“I did,” Dandelion said softly. Then he laughed. “I wish I could tell Dijkstra that Ciri was hiding in the stable the entire time he was threatening me over her whereabouts. I thought I could outsmart him, send him to the party to bother you, meanwhile Ciri and I would be safe. Then it all had to go to shit, the Sorceresses rebelled, I lost Ciri, you nearly died, Triss took you to Brokilon and, well, the rest is history.”

Geralt nodded slowly, processing. He still couldn’t remember all of it, but Dandelion was starting to fill in some of the gaps.“Dandelion?”

“Yes Geralt?”

“It’s not your fault you lost Ciri-”

“You don’t remember-”

“Shut up, I can tell what you’re thinking. You think that because you lost Ciri and I had to find her, that makes everything your fault.”

“You died, Geralt,” Dandelion said stiffly. “If I hadn’t lost Ciri.”

Geralt grabbed his shoulders. “No,” he said. “You wouldn’t have lost her if the mages hadn’t rebelled. She wouldn’t have been there if I hadn’t taken her. I wouldn’t have taken her if I didn’t have a reason. I wouldn’t have had a reason if-”

“Alright Geralt! I see your point.” Then he snorted. “Do you actually remember or-”

“I’m making shit up, bard.”

“Thought so. It was starting to go a bit strange there at the end.”

Geralt snorted, then remembered something else. It seemed insignificant, but- “Did I ever tell you that I broke Dijkstra’s ankle?”

Dandelion grinned. “No, but I do like that, Geralt. I like that a lot.”

“I’ll break the other one, if you’d like, the next time I see him.”

**Author's Note:**

> It’s often glossed over that while Dandelion did spy in court for Dijkstra, he was being blackmailed for the information on Geralt (which he clearly doesn’t want to give up). 
> 
> It’s never clear what with, except that Dandelion is very unhappy about it.


End file.
